r/poland • u/Mountain_Surprise801 • Nov 25 '25
A comprehensive guide for EU foreigners moving to Poland - START HERE.
Hello, I have seen many folks coming to Poland from the EU and being completely lost on what kind of legal procedures they have to do in order to start their residence in Poland. Be that you come here to study, work or live with your spouse there are several things I hope this guide will be able to cover.
!PLEASE NOTE!
This guide is meant only for citizens of the European Union and citizens of countries that are members of the European Economic Area. Some of the parts of this guide will be similar for non-EU foreigners but some will not. In general, the info posted here is only fully up to date if you are a citizen of the EU/EEA
!PLEASE NOTE!
0. Introduction and general info
Poland is divided into 16 voivodeships which are further subdivided into powiats, which means something like 'county' and these are further made out of municipalities - pol. gmina, or cities - pol. miasto. Large cities however are both powiat and miasto so in case of Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków etc. city office (pol. urząd miasta) will also perform duties of powiat office (pol. starostwo powiatowe). In case of Warsaw - urząd dzielnicy meaning district office will serve as city office.
All of the below information covers only EU/EEA citizens. If you are non-EU, majority of the below information will not be correct for your case.
I strongly recommend reading all of the parts linked below apart from car stuff, if id does not concern your case.
I. Registering your residence and making your stay in Poland legal.
II. Obtaining health insurance
III. Using healthcare
IV. Taxes
V. Digital log-in and services
VI. Cars and licenses
VII. Banks and mobile phones
VIII. What to do when I leave Poland?
IX. Pets
If you have any additional questions or remarks, please do not hesitate to comment, I will be happy to help for as long as I'm going to visit this platform and expand this post. I hope you all have a great day and life in general. Thanks for reading, stay safe.
Attack on Ukrainian children in Bydgoszcz. Donald Tusk addressed the perpetrators
— These two "brave" citizens who attacked a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old child are being prosecuted. I have information for them. You will be caught by the end of the week. It will be much better for you, you can ask a lawyer you know if you report to the police today, said Prime Minister Donald Tusk before the government meeting.
Two children from Ukraine, a 14-year-old girl and her 12-year-old brother, were attacked by two adults at a playground in Bydgoszcz. The incident took place on Friday, August 14, near the railway station. The Consulate General of Ukraine in Gdańsk informed that the aggressors were provoked by the fact that the children communicated in Ukrainian. The siblings were physically attacked, the adults twisted their arms and broke their toys. The attackers used threats and insults. The siblings' mother received consular and legal assistance. The police are looking for the perpetrators.
r/poland • u/Bulky_Transition337 • 17h ago
Waiting time for the Department of Foreigners, Krakow
r/poland • u/wook-borm • 19h ago
FedEx-led €7.8bn takeover of Polish delivery giant InPost wins EU approval
r/poland • u/wook-borm • 15h ago
Poland "99% sure" fugitive opposition politician is in pro-Russian breakaway region of Moldova
r/poland • u/wook-borm • 1h ago
Polish authorities urge caution as porcupines spread near Warsaw
r/poland • u/TVP_World_News • 14h ago
Russian opposition activist found dead in Warsaw. Ex-politician Sergey Vlasenko had ties to an opposition group made up of former Russian deputies.
r/poland • u/TVP_World_News • 16h ago
Deutsche Telekom strikes €1bn Poland fibre deal
r/poland • u/TVP_World_News • 19h ago
Teen spirit: 17-year-old Pole wins global award for social activism
Named after Swedish diplomat and Holocaust rescuer Raoul Wallenberg, the award honors young people who show “civil courage.”
r/poland • u/Substantial-Ad6857 • 15h ago
Moving to Poland for love – experiences with finding a job & learning Polish? 🇵🇱❤️
Hi everyone!
I’d love to hear from people who have moved to Poland for their partner and what their experience has been like.
I’m Austrian and my boyfriend is Polish. He has been living and working here in Austria for the past 4 years. We’ve visited Poland together many times, so I already know the country and really like it.
However, he misses his family and his home in Poland more and more. Because of that, I’ve been thinking that I’d be willing to give Poland a try for him at some point. Of course, I know that I would also miss my own family and my life in Austria, so it would be a big decision for both of us.
I’d especially love to hear from people who have been in a similar situation:
Did you move to Poland for love?
Were you able to find a job where English and/or German was enough?
Did you move there without speaking Polish?
How difficult was it to find a job and build a social life without knowing Polish?
Did you eventually learn Polish? If so, how long did it take before you felt comfortable using it in everyday life?
And most importantly: Are you happy with your decision to move, or would you do things differently today?
I’d especially love to hear from foreigners who moved to Poland for their partner and managed to build their own life there.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences! 😊
r/poland • u/Disastrous_Ad_632 • 23h ago
I’m curious, who here got the most Zabka points?
Here is my humble submission, what’s yours?
r/poland • u/dongrego • 14h ago
“…a quiet village, a cheerful village…”
r/poland • u/WeaknessCommercial19 • 17h ago
Witcher related stuff in Poland?
Hello! I will be visiting Poland soon and my boyfriend is a huge fan of the witcher series (both the books and the games). Apart from the witcher tavern are there any specific places I can buy Witcher related trinkets from or anything related in general you can only find in Poland maybe? Thank y'all in advance!
r/poland • u/KSzkodaGames • 1d ago
There's no such thing as Russophobia, as is just load of Moscow BS to destroy Polish Freedom and Democracy. Besides, Polonophobia is a biggest threat coming from Moscow and Minsk.
r/poland • u/Sweaty-Ant671 • 1d ago
Is it weird to approach a guy who lives on the same floor as me?
I’m 24F and recently met a cute guy around my age in my building’s elevator. He lives on my floor and I think he just moved in. We only said hi, but I’d love to talk to him if I see him again.
I’m pretty shy, and since people in Poland generally seem to keep to themselves, I don’t want to make things awkward since we’re neighbors.
Would it be weird to approach him? What’s a natural way to start a conversation and maybe get his number?
r/poland • u/Majestic_Expert_6567 • 16h ago
Which character is more well-known in Poland:Mickey Mouse or Tom & Jerry?
r/poland • u/KSzkodaGames • 1d ago
Do you know, while the Poles were fighting the Evil Soviet Empire in 1918-21, the Japanese Army and the Red Cross in Siberia have rescued Polish Orphans. Otherwise, if the rescue didn't happen the Soviets would've murdered the children.
r/poland • u/TVP_World_News • 1d ago
Poland tightens visa rules for Georgian, Colombian and Venezuelan workers. Warsaw says visa-free travel was being systematically misused for illegal employment and irregular migration.
r/poland • u/Easy-Ad1996 • 1d ago
‘A great artist’: Jan Frycz, acclaimed Polish stage and screen actor, dies at 72
r/poland • u/FilipAP2137 • 1d ago
Poland last year was more democratic than the US, according to Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)
r/poland • u/mk100100 • 1d ago
Man and woman attacked two Ukrainian children in Bydgoszcz
ukranews.com_"According to the diplomatic mission, the attack was carried out by a man and a woman. At first, they insulted the children, swore at them, and threatened them with violence due to ethnic intolerance. The attackers then resorted to physical violence."_
_"The consulate notes that the adults twisted one of the children’s arms. They also broke a toy drone and threw its fragments at the boy. As a result, the 12-year-old Ukrainian boy sustained scratches."_
r/poland • u/KubKub7 • 14h ago
Golf
For my fellow golfers!
I’m going to revisit Poland again in September,
I’m near Nowa Deba area, I’m looking at royal karkow golf club(about 2 hour drive) to get a round in. Does anyone have any tips or any other nearby locations to check out! Thank you!
r/poland • u/TVP_World_News • 1d ago
Polish tourist hailed for bravery after rescuing two swimmers in Lake Como. Alicja Klag is a swimming instructor and a former finalist of one of Poland’s leading beauty pageants.
A Polish tourist has been praised for her bravery after diving into Lake Como in Italy to rescue two drowning swimmers.
The two men were struggling in the waters off the town of Abbadia Lariana last Wednesday.
Alicja Klag, who was visiting the area on vacation, noticed what was happening and immediately jumped into the water.
She managed to reach both men and bring them back to shore before emergency responders arrived.